the Lord of the Rings

The following is a column I wrote for Grandin Media on Sam Gamgee from the Lord of the Rings fame, Mary & Martha, and our call to pray and serve:

Without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite stories is J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

Of the many memorable characters, one of my favourites is Sam Gamgee, whom we first encounter early on in the The Fellowship of the Ring.Sam initially serves as Frodo’s gardener, but becomes much more: traveling with Frodo to the end of the world and back in their quest to destroy the One Ring. Sam and Frodo’s friendship is deep, battle-tested, and brotherly – and Frodo recognizes this, stating in The Two Towers that he “wouldn’t have got far without Sam.”

At the end of The Return of the King, Frodo asks Sam to come on one final journey with him. Much to Sam’s sorrow, Frodo is going leave the Shire for a place where, for once, Sam cannot go as well. Sam is now married, with a beautiful daughter, Elanor, and can no longer give Frodo the loyalty and attention that got them through The Lord of the Rings without neglecting his family. When Sam begins to protest, Frodo tells Sam: “Do not be too sad, Sam. You cannot be always torn in two. You will have to be one and whole, for many years.”